Liquid level indicator



April 15, 1952 c. J. RYANT, JR

LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed March 30, 1949 EMU: 535

mQSmOkm tOk c655 JNVENTOR. Charles J. Ryanf, Jr.

ATTORNEYS pr 1952 c. J. RYANT, JR v 2,592,744

LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR Filed March 50, 1949 2 SHE-E'I'S-Sl'IEE':T 2

4 5 HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE PSI IOO INVENTOR. Charles J. Ryanf, Jr.

BY M C. U

ATTORN 8 FIG.2.

Patented Apr. 15, 1952 LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR :Charles :.J. Ryant,- Jr., Chicago, Ill.,- assignor to lstandard OilxGompany, Chicago, Ill.,a corporation of Indiana Application-March 30, 1949, Serial No. 84,316

1 Claim. 1

This inventionrelates to a device for indicating leveisxot liquids-and more particularly. pertains to a device for continuously indicating levels of volatileiliquids.

Heretoforev the means for indicating levels of liquidsi :invessels situated remotely therefrom have tbeen unsatisfactory. It has-been observed that inlonder to obtain accurate liquid level indications .it necessary to. provide. a means which aecuratelywcompensates for variations in liquid level due to c'hanges in the temperature of the liquidvas well as provide anaccunate means for transmitting .to the 1 instrument the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the liquid. it is particularly important :to compensate for variations intliqu-id level due to E fluctuations of liquid temperatures when-gaging: volatile liquids; for the reason that usually. appreciable variations in-level are caused by liquid temperature changes.

nnlobjectof my invention is'to provide an improved devico for indicating levels of liquids.

Another-object .ofmy invention isto provide a device for continuously indicating levels of liquids, particularly volatile liquids. Stil1-another-object of my -invention =is to-provide a deviceior accurately and 'continuously indicating levels of liquids; at a --position-remotely disposed with respect to the location of theliquid. A -f-urther object orm-my invention is to provide a device which accurately compensatesfor-variations in liquid level due to fluctuations inthe temperature of "the liquid,='particu1arly when gaging-volatile liquids. r Other objects and advantages of my invention-will be apparent during the' following description-and explanation thereof.

I accomplish: theseand other-objects of my invention by :p-roviding a rotatable element carrying a-gr'aduation of true liquidlevel lineswhich may be -determined from componentialisobar linesandcomponential isotherm lines of a particular :liquild; or-preferably said true liquid level lines *are calibratedempirically for a particular liquid. Preferably said componential lines are in perpendicular relationto each other. A pressure d'iflerent-ial or hydrostatic pressure translator means indicates the appropriate isobar line carried on said-rotatable element: "whereas a temperature" translator means indicates-the -appropriate isotherm line on said rotatable element by am-indicating movement; preferably, in a trans-f 2 verse plane with respect to the plane of indicating movement caused by thepressure differential translator means. -To better appreciate the various applications and advantages tobe'derived from myinvention, an example thereof will be given for the purpose of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical sketch. showing the relative positions of the elements of theindioating dcvicewith respect to the liquid;

Figure 2 is atypical chart to housed-for indicating liquid levels of propane; and

Figure 3 isa dingrammatical sketch showing an example construction of the indicating device.

In Figure 1, is shown a volatile liquid storage tank or-vessel 5 havingpressure tap lines 6 and 1 leading'fromthe top and bottomthereof, respectively, to a pressure diiferential translator 'B. The pressure diflerential is translated to an indicating pointer 9, which moves in an adjacent plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of rotatable element 10, thereby indicating the appropriate isobar line on said rotatable element l0. At the bottom portion of tank 5 is located a thermowell I I containing a temperature measuring element, such asa temperature sensitive resistance bulb or a thermocouple or a thermometer (gas or liquid filled) which relays impulses to a temperature translator 12. The temperature impulses received by temperature translator are transmitted as a rotational'force to rotatable element l0, thereby adjusting the level indication with respect to indicating pointer 9 to give a true level reading.

Many variations inqthe arrangement of elements described hereinabove can be made within the scope of my invention. For instance, I may employ a device wherein the pressure differential translator 8 causes turning of rotatable element It, and the temperature translator l2 causesthe sliding movement of indicating pointerB in plane parallel and adjacent to the longitudinal axis of said rotatable element I0. I may also employ ior my indicating device, an arrangement wherein the indicating pointer 9 is fixed at an appropriate position adjacent to thesurface of element lfi, and said element It being a translatable and rotatable element, so that either thepressure difierential translator 8 or the temperature trans later l2 will cause said element 10 .to move in a plane parallel and adjacent to indicating element 9, and likewise either translator means 8 or l2 may cause said element H] to rotate.

' In Figure 2, is shown a typical chart for indicating levels of liquids for propane. In this chart the true liquid level lines, represented by oblique lines, such as line l3, are shown in relationship with the vertical isobar lines represented by line M and the horizontal isotherm lines represented by line l5. The graduations of true liquid level lines in this chart are calculated from the physical properties of propane by determining the actual or true level from the hydrostatic pressure and temperature. In this chart, the vertical axis of ordinate represents the temperature of the liquid in degrees 7 Fahrenheit, and the horizontal axis or abscissa represents the hydrostatic pressure in pounds per square inch. For a given hydrostatic pressure and temperature of the liquid, the actual or true liquid level is calculated and represented as a point on the chart in units of feet of liquid level. After a sufficient number of points on the chart have been determined, the points being numerically equal are connected by lines, such as for example line [3. Although the chart shown in Figure 2 may be used for the purposes of our invention, it is preferred that the true liquid level lines be calibrated empirically so that the units in the above described chart will correspond to indicating movements effected by the temperature and pressure differential translators.

To illustrate my invention in more detail, in Figure 3, is shown rotatable element I0 carrying calibrations of true liquid level lines, represented by oblique lines, such as line I3, in relationship with the vertical isobar lines represented by line I4 and the horizontal isotherm lines represented by line I5. Preferably, the calibrations of true liquid level lines are on a separate chart means as shown in Figure 2, and is carried on the surface of'rotatable element In. The use of a separate chart means containing calibrations of true liquid level lines is more convenient for the reason that each kind of liquid stored requires a separate calibration of true liquid level lines, therefore in the event of a change in the kind of liquid stored, it is only necessary to change the chart to an appropriate one.

Also in Figure 3, I8 and I9 represent Bourdon tubes of the type employed in measuring pressure. Bourdon tubes l8 and I9 are directly connected to pressure tap lines 6 and 1, respectively (see Figure 1). I9 are mechanically linked to the shafts (not shown) of servomotors and 2|, respectively, and represented as dotted lines 22 and 23 so that any additional distortion in the shape vof the Bourdon tubes caused by pressure change is transmitted as a torque to the shafts of servomotors 28 and 2|. Lines 24 and 25 represent an outside source of electrical power for energizing servomotor 25 through 26, represented as a coil. Likewise, the outside source of power for servomotor 2| is represented by lines 21 and 28, and said motor is energized through 29, represented as a coil. Servomotors 20 and 2| are electrically' connected to a differential servomotor 3|, which connection is represented by lines 32, 33, 34, and 36, so that the difierence in pressures in Bourdon tubes I8 and I9, is resolved as a diiierential torque by the member 31 of difierential servomotor 3|. The differential torque exerted by differential servomotor 3| is, trans- These bourdon tubes l8 and lated as a linear movement to indicating pointer 9 by means of a mechanical linkage, represented by dotted line 38.

In the pressure diiferential translator just previously described, I may employ in place of Bourdon tubes l8 and I9 individual compressible bellows, or a differential bellows type of an arrangement, mechanically linked in such manner to the shafts (not shown) of servomotors so as to transmit a torqued force. Also, in place of the pressure differential translator described hereinabove, I may use Bristols Metameter apparatus of the type described in U. S. Patents Numbers 1,338,715 and 1,478,861. With appropriate changes, such an apparatus is suitable for the purposes herein.

In Figure 3 is shown a continuous balance potentiometer pyrometer which has a temperature sensitive resistance bulb 4| located in thermowell (shown in Figure 1) for detecting any changes in liquid temperature. Resistance bulb 4| is part of a Wheatstone bridge arrangement having an electromotive force impressed at 42 and 43, and said voltage supply being stepped down by means of bridge supply transformer 44 to the desired amount. Suitable electrical resistances, represented by 45, 46 and 41, are em ployed in the circuit in conjunction with slide wire 48, which serves to vary the voltagesupplied by transformer 44. Any electrical changes effected by variations in liquid temperature is picked up by the electronic amplifier 49 and amplified sufiiciently to operate a rebalancing motor 50 through the control winding 5| thereof. Lines 52 and 53 represent an outside source of power to rebalancing motor 50. In operation, a change in voltage caused by resistance bulb 4| is amplified by the electronic amplifier 49, which in turn supplies the energy necessary to operate rebalancing motor 50, and by a mechanical linkage, represented by dotted line 54, the slide wire 48 contact is repositioned to equalize the opposing voltages in the Wheatstone bridge arrangement.

In my invention, the mechanical energy supplied by rebalancing motor 50 is also, utilized in retating the rotatable member H] by mechanical linkages from either rebalancing motor 50'or from slide wire 48, as shown by dotted lines 55 and 56, respectively.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and'described, is to be taken as an illustration of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and ar rangement of parts may be-resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

An apparatus for indicating liquid level, which apparatus comprises a drum member mounted for rotation about its axis, a chart bearing a series of lines of increasing obliqueness and indicating volumes (which in turn determine liquid levels) at temperatures forming the chart ordinates and hydrostatic pressures forming the chart abscissas,

' said chart being carried on a drum with its ordinates around said drum and its abscissasalong the side thereof paralle1 to its axis, an indicating pointer mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum member and adjacent the surface thereof, a pressure dif-- ferential translator consisting of a pair of ex.-

pansible members movable in response to pressure for effecting hydrostatic pressure measurementya pair of servomotors with the shaft .of. each, motor mechanically linked to one of said expansible members, a difierential servomotor electrically connected to said pair of servomotors and having a shaft mechanically linked to said pointer for causing movement thereof, and a temperature translator consisting of a continuous balance potentiometer pyrometer system having a rebalancing motor operatively connected to cause rotation of said drum member.

CHARLES J. RYANT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Number Name Date Miguelon July .29, 1930 Bacon Mar. 21, 1939 Sprenkle Apr. 25, 1944 De Giers Aug. 14, 1945 Wise Sept. 28, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Aug. 28, 1933 France Apr. 19, 1938 

